Sing (2016)
Sing is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Illumination Entertainment. It was directed and written by Garth Jennings and co-directed by Christophe Lourdelet, and stars the voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton and Tori Kelly. The plot involves a group of anthropomorphic animals that enter a singing competition, hosted by a koala hoping to save his theater. The film includes more than 60 songs from famous artists, and also has an original song by Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande called "Faith", which was nominated for a Golden Globe. It was released by Universal Pictures on December 21, 2016, received generally positive reviews from critics and has grossed $625 million worldwide. Along with The Secret Life of Pets, it marked the first time that Illumination Entertainment released two feature films in the same year. A sequel has been announced for a release on Christmas in 2021. Plot In a world of anthropomorphic animals, koala Buster Moon owns a theater, having been interested in show business since his father took him to his first music show as a child. Following financial problems brought up by the bank representative Judith, he tells his wealthy friend Eddie that he will host a singing competition with a prize of $1,000. But Buster's assistant, Ms. Crawley, accidentally appends two extra zeroes, and the promotional fliers showing $100,000 are blown out of Buster's office into the city streets. Animals from all around the city gather for auditions. Those selected include: housewife and mother of 25 piglets Rosita; street musician mouse Mike; mobster's son gorilla Johnny; and punk-rock porcupine Ash. Shy teenage elephant Meena bombs her audition out of stage fright, while Ash's boyfriend Lance is dismissed from the contest. Rosita is paired with another contestant, an exuberant pig named Gunter, for a dancing routine. Although Buster discovers the flyers show a prize of $100,000, money he does not have, he remains optimistic. Buster convinces Eddie to arrange a visit with Eddie's grandmother, former opera singer and theater actress Nana Noodleman, to persuade her to sponsor the prize money. She is hesitant to contribute, but agrees to see a private screening of the show. Encouraged by her grandfather, Meena tries to ask Buster for another chance, but becomes his stage hand instead. When one of the acts quits, and another is injured, Meena is added as an act. The performers' individual problems begin to hinder rehearsals: Rosita flounders in her dance routine with Gunter, after having been distracted by her parenting duties that have fallen into disarray. After discovering Lance with a new girlfriend and evicting them from her apartment, Ash is heartbroken and in no state to sing her assigned song, Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe". Johnny is torn between having to help his father as the driver of the getaway car in a heist and making the practices. When Johnny tries to do both, he does not show up for the planned pickup in time, and his father and his gang are arrested. Meena does not get any help overcoming her stage fright, and Mike, certain that the prize money is as good as his, buys a fancy car to impress a girl mouse, and swindles a group of bears in a card game in a nightclub. The day of the screening, the bears interrupt the show, demanding the money from Mike, who in turn, points to Buster. The bears open the chest containing the prize money, but it is nowhere near $100,000. The glass tank full of luminescent squids that Buster got to light up the theater breaks under all their weight, and floods the theater, which then comes crashing down. With the lot repossessed by Judith, Buster, who had been living in his theater's office desk, takes up residence at Eddie's place (his parents' pool house). Although the contestants (besides Mike, who saw Buster as a fraud) visit him and try to cheer him up, Buster is too despondent to listen to them. He tries to start over by opening a car wash, using the same bucket that his dad had used to earn money for Buster's theater. When Meena goes to the theater's rubble lot and sings Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", Buster hears her and is inspired to reinstate the show without the prize money. They perform in front of Rosita and Meena's family members. As Rosita and Gunter perform Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off", more animals are attracted to the scene as the show is broadcast on the news. Johnny's rendition of Elton John's "I'm Still Standing" impresses his father, who then escapes from prison to reconcile with him. Despite interruption by Judith, Ash sings her original rock song "Set It All Free". Mike returns to the competition and sings Frank Sinatra's "My Way". Meena finally overcomes her fears and sings Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing", which literally brings down the house. The show becomes a success and impresses Nana, who was in the audience. Nana buys the lot, and the theater is rebuilt and reopened. Voice Cast *Matthew McConaughey as Buster Moon, an optimistic koala who plans to save his theater from closure by holding a singing competition. *Reese Witherspoon as Rosita, a pig who gave up her teenage music dreams to become a devoted wife to Norman, and mother to their 25 piglets. *Seth MacFarlane as Mike, a white mouse "with a big Frank Sinatra-esque voice and an arrogant attitude." *Scarlett Johansson as Ash, a teenage porcupine and punk rocker who takes part in an alternative-rock music duo with her boyfriend Lance. *John C. Reilly as Eddie, a sheep and Buster's friend who doubts the future of the theater. *Tori Kelly as Meena, a teenage elephant with an exquisite voice and severe stage fright. *Taron Egerton as Johnny, a teenage gorilla who wants to sing, though his father wants him to follow his criminal footsteps. *Jennifer Saunders as Nana Noodleman, a sheep and Eddie's grandmother who was a singer in her glory days. **Jennifer Hudson as Young Nana *Garth Jennings as Miss Crawly, an elderly iguana with a glass eye who is Buster's administrative assistant. *Peter Serafinowicz as Big Daddy, a gang leader who wants his son Johnny to follow in his crime business. *Nick Kroll as Gunter, a passionate dancing pig who is partnered with Rosita for the show. *Beck Bennett as Lance, a porcupine and Ash's boyfriend. *Jay Pharoah as Meena's grandfather who pressures her to overcome her stage fright. *Nick Offerman as Norman, a pig and Rosita's husband. *Leslie Jones as Meena's mother *Rhea Perlman as Judith, a brown llama from the bank who warns Buster that his theater will be repossessed if he does not pay. *Laraine Newman as Meena's grandmother *Adam Buxton as Stan *Brad Morris as a Baboon whom Mike attacks for not donating more money to his street performances. *Bill Farmer as News Reporter Dog, who documents Buster's singing competition. *Oscar, Leo, Caspar, and Asa Jennings as Piglets. Videos Sing TRAILER 1 (2016) - Scarlett Johansson, Matthew McConaughey Animated Movie HD Sing Official Trailer 2 (2016) - Scarlett Johansson Movie Sing Official Trailer 3 (2016) - Taron Egerton Movie Category:Sing Category:Films Category:Media Category:Tertiary Media Category:Animated Films